Support and Funding

VPA considers graduate student research an integral part of the student experience. Grants are awarded to encourage students to pursue creative opportunities, whether they are exhibitions, conferences, performances, or other professional events.

The Creative Opportunity Grant (COG) is designed to support students in various disciplines and allow them to take advantage of unique opportunities that will benefit their academic/artistic work and enhance their career development. These awards are offered once a year for current graduate students.

COG is designed to support students in various disciplines and allow them to take advantage of unique opportunities that will benefit their academic/artistic work and enhance their career development. These grants provide support for single-or multiple-student projects with preference being given to interdisciplinary projects. COG grants generally do not exceed $750.

This grant competition is for graduate students who are proposing to undertake research or creative projects in the spring or summer. Awards are offered to project proposals that will provide both scholarly fulfillment and help students take a significant stride toward degree completion.

The range of awards is generally between $500 and $1,000. In most cases, grants won through this competition will award only partial funding for a project. Students may wish to consult their academic departments to determine if supplemental funding is available. These projects are funded by the Graduate School, so depending upon the funds allocated, VPA is able to make three to five awards each year. The proposal process normally takes place toward the end of spring semester.

Syracuse University's Graduate Student Organization (GSO) provides a travel grant for students traveling for academic and professional conferences. Grant funds are intended to defray the cost of travel for students presenting original work at conferences, exhibitions, performances, and other opportunities. There are multiple deadlines throughout the year; visit the GSO website for more details.

If you are looking for teaching assistantships, hourly assistantships, or employment opportunities, please contact your advisor and/or program coordinator. Many of those awards are distributed by departments and programs, so you should always begin those conversations there.

Each year, approximately eight graduate students in VPA's M.F.A. programs are selected to participate in the Ginsburg-Klaus Art in Los Angeles Week, also known as Art in LA. Held during Spring Break, the program provides students with the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles for little to no cost. Students receive free transportation to LA from Syracuse and back, transportation in LA, lodging, and meals. Admissions to museums and cultural centers that are part of the trip are also included.

The practicum gives students a unique opportunity to study art collections housed in some of Los Angeles' many renowned museums and galleries. The students are also given the opportunity to visit contemporary art studios and to hear from prominent artists, curators and gallery owners, many of whom are SU alumni. Through these interactions, the students get a glimpse into life in the professional art world and the impact of Los Angeles on the global art community.

Past trips have included such collection and site visits as the Hammer Museum at UCLA, MOCA, the Broad Art Foundation, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Broad Contemporary Art Museum, the Getty Center, Disney Studios, Cherry and Martin Gallery, Gagosian Gallery, Watts Towers, Culver City Galleries, and Regan Projects, as well as visits to artists' studios, curatorial talks, and a visit to San Pedro.

In order to apply for consideration, students must complete a statement of interest. They must also have a faculty member submit a nomination form. Eight students will be selected from the students who apply.

An outgrowth of the Ginsburg-Klaus Art in Los Angeles Week, the Turner Semester is a residency program for a small cohort of M.F.A. degree students in VPA. The program allows the students to experience the arts of the West Coast and to live and work in San Pedro (the Los Angeles Harbor area) during the spring semester. Contact the Office of Student Success at 315.443.2517 or vpaosa@syr.edu for more information.

Your Gift Makes a Difference

When you designate your gift to Syracuse University for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, you make a real difference in the lives of faculty and students. Your donation helps us continue our pursuit of excellence in the arts.